Universal rotary vender



J. P. NORTON.

UNIVERSAL ROTARY VEND'ER.

' APPLICATION FILED AUG-3i, 1917- l,364=,44 -9, Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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J, P. NORTON. UNIVERSAL 30mm VENDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-3|, 19x1.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN PEASE NORTON, OF ORANGE, CONNECTICUT.

UNIVERSAL ROTARY VENDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4:, 1921.

Application filed. August 31, 1917. Serial No. 189,231.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Pmsn NoRroN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the town of Orange, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful device entitled Universal RotaryVender, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide mechanism for the control of the trafiic of universal vending in the sense that the mechanism shall be capable of selling heterogeneous goods, shall be flexible with respect to prices and shall be capable of operation without assistance from salesman and cashier by means of coin-controlled electric current dispensing attachments.

Whereas most automatic vendors are constructed for delivering special sizes of packages, this universal rotary vender is capable of selling heterogeneous goods of all shapes and sizes, limited in size only by the diameter of the aperture through which the goods must readily pass when removed by the purchaser and limited with respect to price by the relation that the price of an article in any given compartment of a given plate shall not be greater than the shutter price.

Unlike all other vending mechanism known to the applicant, the shutter-price for a given plate is flexible and may be changed from day to day according to the convenience of the owner, 2'. 6., 15 cents on one occasion, thirty-five cents on another or any other price within the possible combinations of the coin attachments. Goods of diiferentkinds obviously may be sold for different prices less than the shutter price on the same plate by placing redemption checks or the change itself for small diiferences. Thus, no shutter is limited to any given coin. Since all shutters and plates may be numbered and all compartments conveniently lettered, it is possible to catalogue all goods so that a purchaser by consulting the catalogue can readily locate the plate and compartments with the goods and so inspect same before purchase without the assistance of salesman.

\Vith this object in view, my invention consists generally in a circular display plate which may be identified by signals such as numbers and is rotatable freely in either direction within a casing. The display plate is divided by radial divisions into a series of compartments in which the goods are held,.the compartment being identified by signals for the catalogue. Corresponding to each compartment, there is a concentric slot in each plate through each one of which the shutter may operate on occasion.

My invention further consists in a shutter capable of closing an aperture in the casing through which the articles may be removed by the purchaser, and further in a catch-lever for locking said shutter in closed position, said lever being adapted to unlock said shutter by means of an agitator operated by an electric current over a circuit. Said shutter when unlocked falls through the concentric slot of the plate corresponding to the compartment which has been properly registered in front of the aperture by the customer, and the shutter is then in a position which permits of two functions. If an attempt is made by the customer to rotate the plate in one direction, the shutter acts as a brake and prevents rotation. If an attempt is made to rotate the plate in the opposite direction, the pressure of the plate against the shutter will cause the shutter to rise to the locked position, thereby preventing appropriation of goods in more than one compartment by a single release of the shutter.

My invention further consists in a limit-' ing rotary switch with signals which when set to correspond with a given plate will direct an electric current to the shutter selected by the customer, said current when initiated passing through the rotary switch to the shutter agitator, thereby causing the shutter to fall. The initiation of the electric current has to do with the passing of the'money called for by the shutter price and it is obvious, if the rotary switch is wired to a suitable coin-controlled electric current dispensing machine, a current of electricity will be sent by the deposit of the money through the rotary switch to the shutter selected. Thus, the wires from the rotary switch to the posts of the coin attachments determine the shutter-prices of all plates operated by a rotary switch and by shifting these wires at the posts of the coin attachments, numerous shutter-prices can be formed, thereby affording flexibility.

Having now pointed out in a general way the spirit of my invention, the invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings of typical embodiments thereof which will serve to illustrate the principles involved. Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 represent the column arrangement of some of the elements of the invention and in describing this arrangement to illustrate the invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto, as both the stack arrangement as well as other possible arrangements are equally within the spirit of my invention. The column arrangement is suitable for isolated arrangements as in display cabinets standingin open floor space.

Figs. 1 and 2 are front and rear elevations respectively of the casing of the rotary vender in the isolated arrangement from outside looking toward the vender, and Fig. 3 is an elevation of the two similar display sides of such a cabinet.

Fig. 4; is a vertical sectional view of the above vender cabinet on four planes, showing shutter board outside, shutter board cut away, compartments removed and finally rear of the shutter board. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on a horizontal plane 55 of Fig. 4 showing the plate, slots and the radial compartments. Fig. 6 is an elevation and Fig. '7 a horizontal section of the shutter board. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan View of the electric switch and Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view of the same and Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the interconnection of shutter and lever through which the shutter is held and the aperture is closed.

Referring now to the drawings, P designates oneof a plurality of plates, said plates rojecting through shutter boards or areas F) and B.

A typical plate P may be rotated independently of other plates in a simple way by means of the rim of the plate which may project through plate slot S in the shutter board 13, the purchaser grasping the rim of the plate and thus causing the plate to rotate a few inches at a time around the pinion e.

The plate P is provided with radial division boards D which form a series of compartments C in which the articles on sale may be displayed. Inspection of articles may be had through the sight W consisting of anopening in the shutter board B covere'd'with glass or screening to prevent access, such inspection of all compartments being accomplished through the sight l/V by rotating the plate.

The number of compartments to a plate may obviously be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention, but it is essential. to the invention that the plate shall be equipped with concentric slots U preferably curved as shown and in number equal to the number of compartments as each compartment needs acorresponding concentric slot.

The interrelationship of plate slots U and shutter L, the latter operating in shutter recess Lof the shutter board B. and there rotating on an axle Z in a limited way, said axle Z being securely fastened to shutter board B, is such that it is impossible to obtain access to the goods through aperture A in shutter board B without the shutter being in What will be designated as the fallen position, a portion of the shutter extending downward through one of the concentric slots U; and further it is impossible to obtain access to the goods in another compartment without rotation of the plate in one direction or the other, in one of which events the fallen shutter brakes the plate from rotation and in the other event rotating the plate causes the shutter to rise from the fallen position to the locked position, the sections T between slots acting as spokes of a wheel. \Vith this general explanation in mind in regard to the interrelationship of plate and shutter,-it will be noted that the shutter recess L formed to the rear of aperture is. by attaching two narrow strips a as shown, thus separatin the shutter board B from the rear shutter plate B. Thus, the aperture A in the shutter board. B is made to register permanently with the apen ture A in the rear shutter plate B and when the shutter is in the fallen position, the circular cutaway A in shutter L registers with apertures A and A, thereby giving access to the compartment, from which through the three apertures A, A and A the customer is able to remove the article from the compartment.

The shutter L is formed in a general way in the shape of a semi-circle with a circular cutaway A in what is the upper quadrant when the shutter is in the fallen position. A locking notch is formed in the upper quadrant by cutting and bending, producing: the notch of the opposite bends V8 and. V. This is a convenient method of forming the notch when the shutter is made of thin metal, but in other materials or in heavier metals, a suitable notch capable of performing the functions cited may be formed in otherways all of which would be within the spirit of the invention. The purpose is simply to secure a notch adapted to intercept with lever or a catch for locking the shutter in the closed position and second to intercept with the shoulder X of the rear shutter plate B in the fallen position, thereby preventing the shutter from falling farther.

Having now described the characteristic elements of the shutter L, operating generally within the shutter recess L withthe notch limiting the motion of the lower quadrant outside the rear shutter plate B" as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 6, the general method of loclrii'ig the shutter in the closed position should be pointedout. A plate shield J fastened to the rear shutter plate B on one side bridges the notch runway to a vertical bend K suflicient in dimension to meet the shutter board B to which it is fastened. This bend K is provided with a slot H through which the locking lever projects. The above description of B, B and J points out an arrange ment suitable when different materials such as wood and metal are used for the construction of the, shutter board mechanism, but it would be equally within the spirit of the invention to construct these parts of metal and even to combine the separate parts B and J into a single piece.

The locking lever g hangs freely on a pinion M fastened to the shutter board B and is limited in transverse motion to the right by a post 0 and directed in plane of vibration by guide B so that when the shutter is being raised the lower edge of the bend V of the shutter L striking the point of the lever g projecting through -slot H forces it backward to post a whereupon bend V passing the point of the lever or catch r instantly is free to return from this unstable position to the notch recess formed by the bend W and so locks the shutter by intercepting the upper edge of the bend V. Both the bend K in the plate shield J and the bend W protect the lever from tampering.

Having now disclosed how the shutter is locked by the purchaser when he rotates the plate through the action of the edge of the section T of the plate between the concentric slots U in pushing against the edge of the shutter L, when in the fallen posi tion, thereby causing said shutter to rise until the notch of the shutter intercepts the locking lever c, it remains to disclose how the shutter may be unlocked by the intending purchaser. So long as the shutter is in the closed position, it is obvious that the plate P may be freely rotated in either direction by the intending purchaser or casual observer.

Inasmuchas it is the purpose of the applicant to provide mechanism for universal vending in the sense that a storekeeper may install such mechanism generally in a store for vending most classes of heterogeneous goods without the need of salesman or cashier, said mechanism being flexible in nature so that the owner can readily change the shutter. prices of the mechanism freely from day to day and hour to hour, a condition not present in coin vending machines hitherto used within the knowledge of the applicant and believed by him to be new, it should be understood that the object of rendering the mechanism flexible is attained by separating the locking and unlocking devices. Whereas the locking mechanism is inherent in the shutter plate mechanism above described, the unlocking device is designed to operate a plurality of shutter units by means of signals displayed on plates, compartments, shutters and rotary switch with coin attachments and by means of connecting wires between shutter agitators and switch and coin at tachments. Y

In this connection, it is plain that the lever may be withdrawn from the notch, thereby unlocking the shutter by means of any suitable coin attachment fastened to the shutter board, operating mechanically or electrically on each lever, but such an arrangement would fail inflexibility. Flexibility is secured by means of the combination of a plurality of plate-shutter units, identified by signals and forming in themselves a series of automatic locking devices when the purchaser rotates the plates with the shutters in the open position, and a separate unlocking electrical mechanism consisting of a rotary switch with coin attachments, said rotary switch being suitably wired to individual agitators on the shutter boards, said agitators being adapted to withdraw the levers and unlock the shutters, and limited to operating one agitator at a time, identification throughout being secured by signals displayed on compartments, plates, or shutters in correspondence with signals on rotary switch.

Signals may be placed on plates, compartments, shutter boards permutation switch and coin attachment for purposes of identification (1) particularly for purpose of locating plates in. space with reference to a plurality of plates and interpreted by a catalogue, (2) for locating a particular compartment in a given plate useful in rotating the plate, the customer knowing that when the proper number appears outside the casing on the rim together with the proper letter that he has surely back of the shutter the goods which he has just inspected-through the sight W or display sides, (3) for purpose of locating in space the rotary switch operating the given shutter and the coin attachment connected thereto in which case shutter numbers and colors are convenient signals and (-i) for operating the rotary switch by setting the number corresponding to the shutter number. It is probably convenient to use index numbers in numerical order for the plates. It is probably convenient to use letters for the compartments. It is probably conven ient to use numbers and colors for the signals connecting rotary switch and shutterboards. Colors would mean green shutters are operated by green rotary switch and green coin attachment, but the applicant does not limit the use of signaling systems as above illustrated. I

In explaining generally the mechanism mentioned above, it is necessary to explain briefly the principle of alteration. It is in no way essential to the invention how a plurality of subunits consisting of plateshutter mechanism shall be arranged with reference to one another. But it is necessary to point out that in any such convenient arrangement, it is necessary to leave a free space below each shutter into which the shutter L may fall without meeting interference. Therefore, in any convenient arrangement of a plurality of plateshutter units, no two shutter areas B with apertures A may come directly above one another without the interposition of a free shutter area B.

But, in any convenient shutter board arrangement affording alternation, each shutter board unit may be identified by signals such for instance as numerals-and letters, the same number in the illustration identifying a given shutter and plate and the compartments being further identified by an individual letter added to the given plate number as 95J in Fig. 5. Such identification by signals makes it possible to locate any class of goods in any compartments by consulting a catalogue. Such identification is necessary in order to unlock the shutter mechanism by means of the combination of the rotary switch connected by wires with a plurality of agitators E which when singly agitated by a current of electricity initiated by suitable coin attachments and directed by the rotary switch when properly set ultimately opens the aperture.

Thus through consulting a catalogue of goods, the purchaser readily locates by number and letter the particular compartment carrying the goods desired, such as 95J which compartment he has selected and brought before the shutter by rotating the plate as in Fig. 5 into correct registration with the shutter as shown by suitable registering marks.

Having now disclosed the complete invention of a universal vender possessing a high degree of flexibility a and accomplishing a complete elimination of the salesman and the cashier, I am aware that there are several new and useful ways of operating the shutter plate units at the expense of the automatic unlocking features of the invention. Thus dispensing with operation by the coin attachments at the expense of the automatic features of the invention, the rotary switches may be operated by a cashier through any ordinary type of suitable switch board or circuit buttons after the money has been handed to her by a customer, or

sent to her in an envelop properly numbered over a conveyer system, or collected by her in a telephone coin box after the customer has called over the telephone line to the cashier for a given shutter number and deposited the coin required by the operator. Again dispensing with all switch features at the expense of flexibility, the-*lever may be unlocked by a separate coin attachment fastened to a shutter and adapted to operate the lever for unlocking. All these are inferior adaptations of the invention, but clearly within the spirit of the invention.

'Having now pointed out the complete invention and lesser combinations thereof, I claim:

1. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a rotatable carrier having compartments for the goods to be vended and concentric slots, a casing having a dispens ing aperture and a shutter entering any one of said concentric slots when selectively registered with said shutter, thereby making an opening to a compartment, the carrier being braked against rotation in one direction and closing said opening when rotated in the opposite direction, and means on said casing forlocking said shutter when elevated out of said concentric slot by rotation of the carrier to the closed position.

2. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a rotatable carrier having compartments for the goods to be vended and concentric slots, a casing having a dispensing aperture and a shutter entering any one of said concentric slots when selectively registered with said shutter, thereby making an opening to a compartment, the carrier being braked against rotation in one direction and closing said opening when rotated in the opposite direction, means on said casing for locking said shutter when elevated out of said concentric slot by rotation of the carrier to closed position and means conveniently accessible for unlocking said shutter when any one of said concentric slots has been brought into proper registration with said shutter by rotation of the plate.

3. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a casing with a dispensing aperture therein, a shutter therefor, a rotatable wheel carrying compartments for the goods to be vended, said wheel having a rim extending throughthe casing, openings in the wheel into which the shutter may enter, the edges of which openings serve to close the shutter on rotation of the wheel, and a locking member on the casing for holding the member closed.

l. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a casing with a dispensing aperture therein, a shutter therefor, a rotatable wheel carrying compartments for the goods to be vended, said wheel having a rim extending through the casing, openings in the wheel into which the shutter may enter, the edges of which openings serve to close the shutter on rotation of the wheel, a locking member on the casing for holding the member closed, and of means for releasing said locking member.

5. In a universalrotary vender, the combination of a casing having dispensing apertures, a plurality of rotatable wheel-like plates mounted therein and projecting through said casing, said wheel-like plates being formed with a plurality of compartments adapted to register one at a time with said aperture.

6. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a casing provided with an opening and a shutter therefor, a carrier movably mounted within the casing and with the rim projecting slightly through said casing by means of which it may be rotated and provided with a plurality of compartments for the goods to be vended and having concentric slots corresponding to the compartments and adapted to register one slot at a time with said shutter and to hold within the slot the shutter when in the fallen position, the carrier being braked against rotation in one direction and raising the shutter when rotated in the opposite direction. I

'7. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a casing provided with an open ing and a shutter therefoi with a notch, a carrier movably mounted within the casing and with its rim projecting slightly through said casing by means of which it. may be rotated and provided with a plurality of compartments for the goods to be vended and having concentric slots corresponding to the compartments and adapted by rotation to raise said shutter by the edge of said slot to closed position, and lever on said casing for intercepting said notch and locking said shutter.

S. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a casing provided with an opening and a shutter therefor with a notch, a carrier movably mounted within the casing and with its rim projecting through said casing by means of which it may be rotated freely in either direction when the shutter is in the locked position and provided with a plurality of compartments for the goods to be vended and having concentric slots corresponding to the compartments and adapted to permit said shutter to fall from the closed position through said slot when registered, a catch lever on said casing for intercepting said notch and holding said shutter in locked position, and an agitator for unlocking said shutter by displacing said lever from said notch, said agitator being operated mechanically.

9. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a casing provided with an opening and a shutter therefor with a notch, a carrier movably mounted within the casing and with its rim projecting slightly through said casing by means of which it may be rotated freely in either direction when clear of the shutter in the locked position, said carrier being provided with a plurality of compartments for the goods to be vended and having concentric slots corresponding to the compartments and adapted to permit said shutter to fall from the closed position through said slots when registered, a lever on said casing for intercepting said notch. and holding said shutter in closed position, and a magnetic agitator capable of displacing said lever from said notch for opening said shutter, said agitator being operated by an electric current over a circuit.

10. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a rotatable compartment wheel with concentric slots, a casing preventing access to the compartment portion of the wheel, said casing provided with a dispensing aperture and a shutter adapted to fall through any one of the concentric slots, thereby permitting access to the compartment and capable of being raised to the closed position by rotation of the plate in one direction, means on said casing for looking said shutter in closed position and means on said casing for unlocking said shutten 11. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a rotatable plate with compartments and concentric slots, a shutter board with an aperture and a shutter capable of falling through any one of said concentric slots to'open an aperture and of being elevated to closed position by rotation of said plate, and means on said casing for locking said shutter when elevated to closed position.

12. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a rotatable plate with compartments and concentric slots, a shutter board with an aperture and a shutter capable of falling through any one of said concentric slots to open the aperture and of being elevated to closed position by rotation of said. plate, means on said casing for locking said shutter when so elevated to closed position, and means conveniently accessible for unlocking said shutter when any compartment of the plate has been rotated into proper registration with said shutter.

13. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a shutter board having a dispensing aperture and a shutter recess with notch runway, a semicircular shutter pivoted to the casing at the center and provided with notch operating in said notch runway, a vibrating catch lever fastened to said casing and having a point operating through a lever slot to intercept said shutter notch when said shutter is in the closed position, an agitator fastened to said casing to displace said lever from said notch, when operated by a switch, a rotatable plate with radial divisions forming compartments for the goods to be vended and having concentric slots, said plate being capable of rotation by movement of the rim which projects through said shutter board and of holding said shutter in the fallen position within any one of said slots when registered and of being kept from rotation by one edge of said slot striking against the curved edge of said shutter in the fallen position, there held by the blocking action of the notch bends against the shoulder of the notch runway braced by the pivot of the shutter and by rotation in the opposite direction rendered capable of raising said shutter to closed position by means of the opposite edge of said slot pushing against the straight edge of said shutter.

145. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a rotatable goods carrier capable of being identified by displayed signals, said signals corresponding to similar signals opposite the names of articles on sale listed in a catalogue causing said goods carrier to be easily located in a plurality of carriers, and a casing for suitably housing said carrier.

15. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a plurality of rotatable plates identified by distinguishing signals such as numbers and having compartments and con centric slots, a casing having a dispensing aperture and a shutter entering any one of said concentric slots, thereby making an opening to a compartment, the plate being braked against rotation in one direction and closing said opening when rotated in the opposite direction, means on said casing for locking said shutter when raised by the rotatable plate to the closed position, and means conveniently accessible for unlocking said shutter when any compartment of said plate has been registered with the shutter, said means being operated by an electric current through a switch set to a permutation identified by signals corresponding to the signal of the shutter.

16. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a plurality of rotatable goods carriers identified by signals such as index numbers, each carrier having compartments, concentric slots and a shutter board with an aperture and a shutter, identified by the same signal as the carrier, said shutter be ing capable of partly falling through any one of said concentric slots to open said aperture and of being elevated to closed position by rotation of said plate, means on said shutter board for locking said shutter when elevated to closed position, and a limiting rotary switch provided with two rotatable disks bearing numbers and corresponding metallic segments through which the given numbered shutter can be unlocked by arranging the numbers on the two disks to form the given number which identifies the plate, thereby making it possible for an electrio current to traverse wires connecting said segments corresponding with the given number to an agitator adapted for unlocking said shutter, said rotary switch being operated by pressing down the plunger, thereby energizing over an independent energizing circuit a suitable coin controlled electric current dispensing attachment connected by wires with said rotary switch and capable of initiating a current of electricity for a brief interval over the operating circuit passing through said segments of said rotary disks brought into contact by depressing the plunger and operated by the deposi oi a coin.

17. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a plurality of rotatable goods carriers identified by signals such as index numbers, each carrier having compartments, concentric slots and a shutter board with an aperture and a shutter, identified by the same signal as the plate, said shutter being capable of partly falling through any one of said concentric slotsto open said aperture and of being elevated to closed position by rotation of said plate, means on said shutter board for locking said shutter when elevated to closed position, and a limiting rotary switch provided with two rotatable disks bearing numbers and corresponding metallic segments through which the given numbered shutter can be unlocked by arranging the numbers on the two disks to form the given number which identifies the plate, thereby permitting an electric current to traverse wires connecting said segments corresponding with the given number to an agitator adapted for unlocking the shutter, said rotary switch being operated bv pressing down the plunger, thereby energizing over an independent circuit a light in the switchboard of a manual operator of the switch controlling the current, who upon receiving the proper coin depresses the switch, corresponding with said light and rotary switch, which initiates a current of electricity over the operating circuit through said rotary switch to said agitator.

18. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a casing having a plurality of dispensing openings, each opening having a shutter, a rotatable compartment wheel cooperating with concentric slots through which the shutter operates, a post upon which the wheel is mounted, locking le vers to engage said shutters, identification signals on eaci shutter and plate, magnetic agitators operating on said levers to unlock said shutters and connected by wires with a rotary switch serving a plurality of shutters, said agitator being operated by an impulse of electricity delivered by a coin controlled eiectric current dispensing attachment suitably connected with said rotary switch and identified by signals corresponding to the signals of the plate and switch,

by means of the deposit of a coin and by engagement of the rotary switch when properly set.

19. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a casing with a dispensing aperture therein, a shutter therefor, a rotatable wheel carrying compartments for goods to be vended, said wheel and compartments being marked by suitable identifying signals, said wheel ha ing a rim extending through the casing thereby displaying the identifying signals outside the casing, openings in the wheel into which the shutter may enter, the edges of which openings serve to close the shutter on rotation of the wheel, and a locking member on the casing for holding the member closed.

20. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a casing with a dispensing aperture therein. a shutter therefor, a rotatable wheel carrying compartments for goods to be vended, said wheel and compartments being marked by suitable identifying signals, said wheel having a rim extending through the casing thereby displaying the identifying signals outside the casing, openings in the wheel into which the shutter may enter, the edges of which openings serve to close the shutter on rotation of the wheel, a locking member on the casing for holding the member closed, and of means for releasing said locking member.

21. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a casing with a dispensing aperture therein. a shutter therefor. a rotatable wheel carrying compartments for goods to be rended, said wheel having a rim extending through the casing, openings in the wheel into which the shutter may enter, the edges of which openings serve to close the shutter on rotation of the wheel, a locking member on the casing for holding the member closed, and of means for releasing said locking member, operated by an electric current directed through a permutation switch over an. electrical circuit to the magnetic agitator.

22. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a cabinet having a plurality of rotatable compartments, a single closure for said plurality of compartments and a locking member for keeping the closure closed.

23, In a universal rotary vender the combination of a cabinet having a plurality of rotatable compartments, a single closure for said plurality of compartments a locking member for keeping the closure closed and means for releasing said closure.

24. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a rotatable carrier having compartments for the goods to be vended and concentric slots. a casing having a dispensing aperture and a shutter entering any one of said concentric slots when selectively registerecl with said shutter, thereby making an opening to a compartment the carrier being; braked against rotation in one direction and elevating said shutter when rotated in the opposite direction.

25. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a rotatable carrier having compartments for the goods to be vended and concentric slots, each compartment and corresponding concentric slot being identified by individual signals such as an index num-v ber for the carrier and index letters for the compartments, thereby rendering the goods easy to locate by reference to a catalogue and the mechanism operable in conjunction with a switch, a casing having a dispensing aperture and a shutter entering any one of said concentric slots when selectively registered with said shutter, thereby making an opening to a compartment, the plate being braked against rotation in one direction and elevating said shutter when rotated in the opposite direction.

26. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a rotatable carrier having compartments tor the goods to be vended and concentric slots, each compartment and corresponding concentric slot being identified by individual signals such as an index num. her 'for the carrier and index letters for the compartments, thereby rendering the goods easy to locate by reference to a catalogue and mechanism operable in conjunction with a switch, a casing having a dispensing aperture and a shutter entering any one of said concentric slots when selectively registered with said shutter, thereby making an opening to a compartment, the plate being braked against rotation in one direction and elevating said shutter when rotated in the opposite direction, and a locking member for holding the closure closed. 7

27'. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a rotatable carrier having compartments for the goods to be vended and concentric slots, each compartment and corresponding concentric slot being identified by individual signals such as an index number for the carrier and index letters for the compartments, thereby rendering the goods easv to locate by reference to a catalogue and the mechanism operable in conjunction with a switch, a casing having a dispensing aperture and a shutter entering any one of said concentric slots when selectively registered with said. shutter, thereby making an opening to a compartment the plate being braked against rotation in. one direction and eleva ing said shutter when rotated in the op osite directiom a locking member for holding the closure closed, and of means for unlocking said closure.

28. In a universal rotary vender. the combination of a casing having a dispensing aperture, a plurality of rotatable wheel-like plates mounted therein and projecting through said casing, said plates being formed with a plurality of compartments adapted to register one at a time with said aperture, said plates displaying conspicuously on the rim thereof outside the casing index signals identifying each compartment within the casing.

29. In a universal rotary vendor, the combination of a plurality'of rotatable compartment wheels with concentric slots a casing preventing access to the compartment portion of the wheels, said casing provided with dispensing apertures identified by distinguishing signals and with shutters adapted to fall through any one of the concentric slots, thereby permitting access to the compartment selected and capable of being raised to the closed pos'itionby rotation of the wheel in one direction, means on said casing for locking said shutters in closed position, and means for unlocking said shutter, capable of being selectively set to correspond with the signal of the aperture selected.

30. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a rotatable compartment goods carrier with rim extending through the casing, signals appearing on the rim outside the casing identifying the compartment behind the shutter, a casing with an aperture and a closure and means for locking the closure.

31. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a rotatable compartment goods carrier with rim extending through the cas ing, signals appearingon the rim outside the casing identifyingthe compartment behind the shutter, a casing with an aperture and a closure, means for locking the closure and means for unlocking the closure.-

32. In a universal rotary vender, the 00111- bination of a rotatable plate with compartments and concentric slots, a shutter board with a sight, an aperture and a shutter, said shutter being capable of falling through any one of said concentric slots to open an aperture and of being elevated to closed position by rotation of said plate, and means on said casing for locking said shutter when elevated to closed position.

33. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a rotatable plate with compartments and concentric slots, a shutter board with a sight, an aperture and a shutter, said shutter being capable of falling through any one oi said concentric slots to open an aperture and of being elevated to closed position by rotation of said plate, means on said casing for locking said shutter when elevated to closed position, and means conveniently accessible for unlocking said shutter when any compartment of the plate has been rotated into proper registration with said shutter.

34. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a cabinet, a plurality of rotatable compartments within the cabinet, arranged-in groups, a single closure bearing a signal for eachgroup of rotatable compart ments, locking members to keepthe closures closed, unlocking mechanism operated by an electric current through a limiting permutation switch capable of being set to the signal of any one of the closures selected and when so set of preventing the unlocking of all other closures until reset to another signal.

35. In a universal rotary vender, the combination of a cabinet, a plurality of rotatable compartments within the cabinet, arranged in groups, a single closure for each group of rotatable compartments, each group and each compartment bearing identifying group and compartment signals, locking members to keep the closures closed, unlocking mechanism operated by an electric current directed through a limiting permutation switch capable of being set to the signal of any one of the groups selected and when so set of preventing theunlocking of all other compartments except one compartment of the group selected until reset to another group signal;

J. PEASE NORTON. 

